He Lost Me to His Best Friend novel Chapter 435

With Gunnar personally overseeing the operation, Corinne, Gwen, Melanie, Sylvia, and even Yardley were all escorted to the precinct for questioning.

Although Yardley was eventually released on bail, the explosive news of the Flynn family being practically dismantled in one night dominated the next morning's headlines. Major media outlets ran terrifying front-page stories on the scandal.

The Flynn family was completely ruined, becoming the ultimate laughingstock of Bay City and the entire national business community.

Meanwhile, the authorities launched a massive probe into the charity's black-hole accounting, and rumors that the Flynn Group was involved in money laundering and embezzlement spread like wildfire.

The Flynn Group's stock plummeted overnight. Billions in market value evaporated into thin air, and the company's internal operations devolved into absolute chaos.

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Inside the Flynn Group's executive boardroom.

The atmosphere was suffocating. The board members were furious, their angry curses filling the room.

Yardley sat near the head of the table, his face a sickly shade of grey. The elite reputation and flawless track record he had spent years building as the head of the company had been incinerated in a single night.

Franklin Flynn had been forced to rush down from Sterling City on a red-eye flight to take control of the situation. The moment he walked into the boardroom, he was ambushed by the furious shareholders.

"Mr. Chairman, call for a vote! We are collectively demanding Yardley be removed from his position as CEO!"

"Exactly! His constant family scandals are severely disrupting operations, and now he's tied up in a criminal investigation! We cannot trust him with our livelihoods!"

"Mr. Chairman! He has to step down. If he doesn't, I will aggressively demand to withdraw my shares, and I will sue the Flynn Group for my financial losses!"

One by one, the board members voiced their outrage, pressuring Franklin to make a decision.

Their trust in Yardley had gone from one hundred percent to negative zero.

Those who had secretly disliked Yardley for years were thrilled, eagerly using this disaster to oust him and replace him with someone more competent.

Franklin remained silent, shooting Yardley a lethal glare. He looked incredibly pale.

For years, he had poured endless resources into grooming Yardley, and until now, Yardley's business acumen had been stellar.

His phone buzzed on the table.

It was a text from Scarlett.

It was her seventh reminder—the mandatory waiting period was officially over. She was telling him to meet her at City Hall tomorrow.

His mind was a tangled, chaotic mess. Paralyzed by indecision, he had chosen to simply avoid her entirely.

He wasn't answering her calls and ignored her texts, playing the ultimate waiting game.

He couldn't face her. Looking at her was a brutal reminder of the monumental mistake he had made.

As for the company's crisis, his brain was just white noise. He had zero solutions.

His severe insomnia was torturing him again, leaving him unable to focus on work. And because of that, he missed the days when Scarlett was his right hand more than ever.

It suddenly hit him with the force of a freight train—the reason he had been so unstoppable and made such brilliant, clear-headed decisions over the past few years was because Scarlett had been quietly working behind the scenes. She had always helped him strategize, cleared his mind, and meticulously managed his health and stress.